Big Brunch Feast Recipes & Tips

All the recipes you’ll need to put on a beautiful and delicious brunch spread plus my hints and tips for the extras to serve alongside. Nearly everything can be prepped ahead of time so there is no last minute stress involved, only tasty fun!

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Why Brunch?

I think that Brunch parties are hugely underrated in the UK. We go out for brunch or we make some pancakes late on a Sunday morning. But we rarely invite people round. I want to change this.

What I don’t want to be doing, and what I don’t want to suggest you do, is to get up at the crack of dawn to start cooking. No-one wants that. And so almost everything in this Brunch Feast can be prepared in advance. At least the day before.

Recipes for The Big Brunch Feast

Pancakes

Both sweet and savoury pancakes are delicious for brunch. They’re best made in advance and cooked to order if you can. Otherwise try to keep them warm if possible.

Scotch Pancakes (Drop Scones) Recipe

Scotch Pancakes or ‘Drop Scones’ are seriously overlooked and chronically underestimated. Denser than their American cousins and smaller and thicker than their British and European equivalents, they’re as good doused in maple syrup as they are slathered in salty butter and eaten like toast.

How to Make Pancakes

My How to Make Pancakes guide provides you with step-by-step instructions to make proper English pancakes. They're the kind that most people only make on Pancake Day/Shrove Tuesday. But I'm a firm believer that "proper pancakes" are a year round treat!

Brunch Bread and Carbs

I love homemade bagels for brunch but if you don’t want to make something at home, just buy your favourites. A toaster and a bread knife placed on the buffet table if a great idea if you’re able. Freshly toasted is always be more delicious. No one really wants cold toast.

Homemade Sesame Bagels Recipe

Homemade Bagels are in a different league to the usual dry supermarket offerings. They’re also a doddle to make and include some fun boiling!

Spreads

Whether you’re serving shop bought sliced white, croissants or homemade bagels, you will want something to spread on them. I’ve got options for the classic butter, jams and curds as well as savoury options like smashed avocado.

Homemade Butter Recipe

Homemade Butter is a revelation and I just can't stop telling people how awesome it is. Or how ridiculously easy it is to make. It even works out cheaper than buying similar butter and takes 10 minutes tops. You have to try this!

You don’t have to make your own butter of course but boy oh boy will folks be impressed if you do. It is totally worth doing too.

More Things To Serve with Breads

Bagels and butter on their own are of course fabulous. But if you want to add some extras, I would recommend adding some (or all if you fancy) of the following items to your shopping list and serve them alongside on platters.

• Smoked salmon and/or prosciutto and salami.
• Cream cheese.
• Nutella. Its not just for kids people.
• Peanut or another nut butter.
• Runny honey.
• Anything else that you fancy schmearing on a bagel.

Eggs and Bacon

For me, anything including eggs or bacon is king for breakfast and brunch. There are options here for baked dishes, sandwiches, pies, quiches and pastries so the options are practically endless.

Lighter Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole Recipe

This Lighter Ham and Cheese Breakfast ‘Casserole’ is an (egg) crackingly ooey-gooey-cheesy-meaty way to start the day. By using reduced fat and lighter ingredients I’ve created a prep-ahead breakfast that’s a tasty, protein filled way to keep you full right up until lunch. 

Eggy Bread Recipe

Eggy Bread is a savoury breakfast classic along with it's sweet cousin French toast. This is quick and easy comfort food at its very best. In 12 minutes you can make a savoury souffle'd treat to eat on its own or dressed up as a more hearty meal. I especially love it topped with bacon and maple syrup!

Luxury Scrambled Eggs Recipe with Cream & Butter

My Luxury Scrambled Eggs with Cream & Butter recipe includes my tips and tricks for making the most delicious, rich and unctuous eggs with minimal faffing in just a few minutes. Perfect for breakfast, a quick snack or decadent supper.

Oats

You could serve up some simply made porridge along with various toppings but this baked oats dish is really great to have made in advance to simply heat and serve.

Baked Banana Oatmeal Recipe with Maple & Pecan

My Baked Banana Oatmeal with Maple & Pecan is not only a great way to use up ripe bananas but makes for a fabulous prep ahead breakfast.  

I like to serve both my fruit compote and baked oatmeal with yoghurt. You could either buy individual pots of yoghurt or serve a larger bowl for everyone to dig in. A plain or greek yoghurt would be key here.

Make it American

Pancakes with bacon, eggs and maple syrup, french toast piled high with whipped cream and fruit or vibrantly coloured cereals might be your first thoughts of and American style breakfast.

But don’t overlook the classic biscuits and gravy. I promise that is sounds odd but is totally delicious. I’ve included my creamy mushrooms too which I use instead of the sausage as a vegetarian option.

Breakfast Biscuits (Savoury American Scones)

American Biscuits are a Southern US classic. They're effectively savoury buttermilk scones that are flaky rather than crumbly & make an excellent side or breakfast. Ideally served warm and smothered with butter, I can’t stop eating them!

Sausage Gravy Recipe

Sausage Gravy is a Southern US breakfast staple with chunks of sausage meat turned into a meaty white milk sauce. Think of it as a tasty sausage bechamel! Traditionally served with buttermilk biscuits or even battered and fried steak, it is much more delicious than it looks!

Creamed Mushrooms with Oregano Recipe

My Creamed Mushrooms with Oregano are fabulous for a slightly decadent breakfast. They’re incredible served on any breakfast bread. For a recipe that takes less than 10 minutes and only a few ingredients, the taste is disproportionately amazing!

British Breakfasts

Just add beans to these easy to make full breakfast recipes. You don’t need to cook in the air fryer if you don’t want to but there is lots of inspiration for delicious breakfast items to include in your brunch.

Air Fryer Full English Breakfast Recipes

Find all of my air fried breakfast recipes in on place. Mix and match to your hearts desire or just go for it and make them all!

Featuring thick and thin back bacon, tasty sausages, simple hash browns, delicious mushrooms and grilled tomatoes.

Sweet Treats and Pastries

I feel like you must have something sweet at a brunch. This isn’t merely breakfast after all.

Blackberry Fruit Turnovers with Puff Pastry Recipe

These super quick and easy Blackberry Fruit Turnovers are flaky and light with a sweet but still tart fruit filling wrapped in puff pastry. They're a great alternative to crumble or jam in bramble picking season and ideal all year as a warm dessert or grab and go snack!

Whole Orange Choc Chip Muffins (Dairy & Gluten Free Recipe)

My Whole Orange Choc Chip Muffins use whole boiled oranges in place of fat to provide body and flavour in these unusual but incredibly easy muffins. Ground almonds and no flour ensure that they are lovely and light despite being naturally gluten free. I love them for a cheeky breakfast!

Sweet Pizza Pockets Recipe (Peanut Butter & Jelly)

Sweet Pizza Pockets stuffed with Peanut Butter and Jelly (jam!) make a fab American inspired snack or dessert. Use store bought pizza dough and they’re ready in just 30 minutes. But be careful, they’re hotter than a pop tart fresh out the toaster!

I would also be tempted to offer up some other sweeter pastries, especially if catering for a larger crowd. The following would all be great options, especially if you can buy mini versions of them:

• Croissants
• Pain au Chocolate
• Cinnamon Buns
• Maple Pecan Plaits
• Danishes

I also understand that some people like to eat fruit for brunch. Not my thing but it is probably nice to offer a bowl of fruit too! Saying this, I did decide to use a satsuma as part of my table setting for these photos.

Drinks at The Big Brunch Feast

Just like with the food, the key to serving drinks is to set things up so that guests can help themselves as much as possible. You should have less waste and everyone gets exactly what they want whilst relieving you of some running around.

Tea & Coffee

I don’t think you can host a breakfast or brunch feast without offering tea and coffee. Whilst these drinks have to be last minute in a sense. Getting everything you can ready ahead of time will really help.

I would suggest setting up a nice tray with the following:

• A jug of milk. (A cute milk bottle is nice to use)
• A bowl of sugar (with white sugar, no one wants brown sugar in their tea).
• Enough mugs for everyone and a couple of spares.
• More than enough tea spoons.
• A large cafetiere ready filled with ground coffee.
• A large teapot with the bags already in.

Hot water can simply be added once people have arrived. Your guests can then serve themselves.

Alternatively, if you have a pod coffee machine, that could be plugged in somewhere convenient and if you don’t have a teapot, a bowl of teabags and a kettle is ideal.

Other Drinks

I had so many great suggestions for other drinks to serve at a Brunch Feast that I went and created a whole other post.

I’ve provided a whole range of suggestions in my dedicated Brunch drinks post along with loads of drink suggestions!

There are other hot drinks, cold drinks, alcoholic drinks and various combinations of those options to choose from. Please I give you some suggestions re how to serve them.

Catering for Allergies at A Big Brunch Feast

Each of my recipes includes details of whether they are gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free and/or nut-free. Each recipe also gives suggestions for how to adapt them for these dietary requirements if needed.

If you have one or more people coming to your feast that have dietary requirements, often the easiest (and the nicest) thing to do is to make all of the dishes suitable for them. If this isn’t possible, making as many of the dishes suitable as possible is great.

Anyone with allergies will be super grateful for your effort but I would always recommend talking about the menu with them directly.

There may be things to consider that you haven’t thought of and you could equally waste time making unnecessary changes. There is no point in making nut free banana oatmeal if that nut-free person hates banana!

And also don’t be offended if anyone wants to bring their own food. I would much rather that someone came to my feast and enjoyed themselves worry-free rather than giving us both anxiety about allergy-friendly food.

Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.